1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to construction panels and, in particular, to insulating constructions panels, systems and methods.
2. Description of the Background Art
Various construction techniques have been devised. Many of these techniques are directed at lowering the overall cost of construction by reducing the cost of materials, time required and/or the amount of labor required. In addition, with the recent push towards energy independence and becoming a “Green” society, various types of new or modified construction techniques have been directed at making structures (for example, homes) more energy efficient. Construction techniques have also been developed to make recycling of materials more practical and efficient.
One area of concern involves the construction of the foundation (or wall) of a structure. The function of a foundation is to support the weight of the structure and to provide a level surface to build on. The foundation will also often form the wall of a portion of the structure such as a basement wall. Foundations can be built from various types of materials including stone, brick, concrete block, treated lumber or poured concrete. Of these, poured concrete is one of the most widely used materials.
Poured concrete foundations have been built using various types of methods and can include poured slabs as well as raised perimeter foundations. One of the oldest and most basic methods of forming a poured concrete raised perimeter foundation is to use wooden forms. This method involves placing two parallel wooden structures spaced a predetermined distance from each other along the footprint or perimeter of the structure to be constructed. Concrete is a material that is very strong in compression but is relatively weak in tension. Accordingly a reinforcing bar, also known as rebar, is normally used in this type of construction and is cast into the concrete to carry the tensile loads. The rebar is arranged at predetermined positions within the parallel wooden structures and held in place with wood and/or metal ties. The concrete is then poured into the space between the wooden structures and allowed to set. After setting, the wooden structures are removed, leaving the poured concrete foundation upon which the structure can be built.
It will be appreciated that the process of setting up and breaking down the wooden structure and arranging the rebar is vary time consuming and labor intensive.
A variety of insulating concrete form systems, known as insulated concrete forms or blocks, have been developed for casting a concrete foundation or wall. Often, these systems include interlocking blocks that are formed from a pair of opposed foam panels connected together in a spaced, parallel relationship by a plurality of tie members to define a concrete receiving cavity. The blocks are aligned and stacked to define a wall, and concrete is poured into the concrete receiving cavities. The blocks are maintained in place after the concrete hardens to insulate the concrete, provide a sound barrier, insulation, and serve as a backing for finishing material.
While many insulating concrete form systems have met with some success, numerous problems exist with these systems. For example, problems are encountered while fitting the panels or blocks together, pouring the concrete into the forms, difficulty of utility installation and attachment of finishing materials to the insulated concrete wall. There are also issues with the transportation and storage of the preassembled types of blocks. Many of these systems require specially moulded corner blocks. There are also issues involved with manufacturing these form systems. For example, these form systems often require costly manufacturing processes for providing connectors or tie members embedded in the inner faces of the insulating panels or blocks.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved insulating concrete form that overcomes the problems experienced with the previously known forms.